Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Our vehicle has had zero accidents the airbag light showed up on dashboard stating check airbags. Then as far as electrical the headlights seem to turn on there own at times. We feel this perhaps is a recall not known yet.
i own a 5-speed manual transmission which should roll freely while in neutral. after starting engine while on a slight incline in a parking lot, the vehicle would not roll in neutral, as if all brakes were being applied. i thought that by driving the vehicle on the road the brakes would free up, but they did not. i shut the engine off and on a few times but that did not make a difference. i could only move forward at 5-10 mph in first gear to get the vehicle home, which fortunately was just 5 blocks away. something smelled terrible like burning wires or brake pads. even after letting the vehicle sit in my driveway for a few hours it would not free up the brakes which were being applied. then i read a tip on an internet users forum: remove a fuse labeled "ABS2" and voila! it freed up the brakes! i can drive the vehicle normally but obviously without ABS capability. …
I was drivein on high way in my car got hard to trun so i stoped and let my uncle drive cause he is more stronger then from that point it got harder to trun it amost locked up on me who know what would have happen but i was almost to my house so we were ablue to get it here then i called my car lot and i hade to drive it there it was so impossible to do but with the help of my uncle he got it there and im in school and stuck with out a car intell its fixed and i have to pay laber wait on part to come in thay say etc its just alot and thank god i was not alone
The receptacle that holds the brake light gets so hot that it melts and has melted the plastic around it as well. The bulb won't stay lit because of this therefore the brake and turn signal lights constantly burn out and it could cause an accident due to lack of signaling and could also very easily start a fire. It started about 2-3 years after we bought the car new with just having to just replace the bulbs much too often, yearly, then a couple of times a year, and now the bulbs are not even lasting a month and the components are actually melting.
The ignition doest work right n want release the key the car dies n stalls while driving we was almost hit by a trooper n he called we spoke to 2 people n they had a gm call us n they said that this has been a big concern of these cars n we tried n tried to get it fixed n they say sorry can't can they when something they built wrong kills me or my family my vin [redacted] 2008 CHEVY COBALT [redacted] IS MY NUMBER
The accelerator pedal constantly fails to activate immediately after turning it on. it used to happen on cold or rainy days. It now fails to activate all the time. Took it to an independent service center and they said it could be the wiring due to water getting in the car. My car did have a leak and it was fixed but many months after these issues started occurring. I get a check engine light with a service traction control, service esc, and code p2138 is shown.
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V047000 (Air Bags, Electrical System). The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
My speedometer jumps and shows a message of POWER STEERING. It makes my fuel line jump as well. I've recently gotten my starter fixed because my car wouldn't start. My tire warning stays on and my tires are new and set at the right PSI. My ABS comes and goes ALL THE TIME and nothing needs to be fixed. My car jerks really hard when all of this is going on.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, there was a loss of steering, which resulted in a driver side impact collision. The air bags did not deploy. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where the vehicle was deemed destroyed. Prior to the failure, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14V047000 (air bags , electrical system). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. A police report was filed. There were no injuries reported that required medical attention. The failure mileage was 138,000.
Car rolled down slight hill after turning off and exiting vehicle, transmission shifter appeared to be in park but obviously not as car rolled after leaving alone on slight slope. After accident, I placed key in ignition, started car but will not back up or change position of gear from neutral or drive. Will not go back into park. Key will not come out of ignition now. Bumper and radiator are damaged after crash.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2003-2007 Saturn Ion, and 2007-2010 Saturn Sky vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and for vehicles that were built with the defective ignition cylinder and have not previously had the ignition cylinder replaced with the redesigned part, dealers will replace the…
Electrical complaints in other Cobalt years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt?
NHTSA has 172 complaints about the electrical system of the 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt, 18% of the model year's 940 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 14V-171 (ignition, Apr 10, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 5 fires and 3 injuries and 3 deaths to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.